Background:

Melton is an urban area on the outskirts of the bustling Melbourne metropolis and is home to more than 30,000 migrants from over 130 nations. More than 29 per cent of the area’s population was born overseas. IEP and Melton City Council devised the workshops to strengthen the rapidly growing and diverse local community using the Positive Peace framework. This workshop was attended by 25 individuals from the local government area of Melton.

How Positive Peace was implemented:

As part of Melton City Council’s proactive Intercultural Plan to include all groups, faiths and cultures in the growth phase of their local area, IEP implemented two Positive Peace workshops to encourage dialogue and build peace from a grassroots level. In this case study, the Positive Peace framework is particularly relevant for fostering relationships.

Containing eight pillars or socio-economic factors that build cohesive communities, the framework hinges on the interrelationships between these pillars, which are and are all dependent on one another. The Good Relations with Neighbours Pillar was particularly relevant in this workshop. This Pillar specifically encourages peaceful relations between countries on a national level, but also good relations between different groups within a community. By fostering these ideals, communities such as Melton can build more stable, prosperous and peaceful places to live.

Outcomes:

By the end of the workshop, participants felt more confident about becoming peacebuilders. A survey of the 25 participants found that after the workshop, over 90% felt either “familiar” or “very familiar” with the topic of Positive Peace — an increase from 30 per cent before the workshop. This acquired knowledge a translated into more confidence in convening a peacebuilding organisation — 100% of participants felt confident in doing this after the workshop compared to 70% before the workshop. Participant’s ability to communicate and negotiate peacefully increased from around 60% to over 90% by the end of the workshop.